Lexy x Sam x Tess
by WellingtonBoot91
Summary: Following the ending of season 2, Lexy and Sam find themselves in a semi-relationship but Lexy can't help feeling some connection to Tess, and a growing sense of protectiveness over her... Tess works hard to get over Lexy but will she succeed? Written to satisfy those of you who, like me, really wanted a conclusion to this love triangle!


**Calm Before the Storm**

Lexy walked into her flat apprehensively, glancing around hoping not to catch a sight of Tess. She listened and there was just silence. She began to tip toe to her bedroom door. Suddenly, she heard the shuffle of socks on ceramic tiles. Tess appeared in the doorway to the kitchen.

"Hey," Tess chirped.

"Oh, hey, Tess. Wasn't sure if you'd be in or not," Lexy said.

"I have this morning off from rehearsals. Reward for a successful post-first night show and all that jazz," Tess smiled at her with wide, affectionate eyes.

Like a puppy, occurred to Lexy, Sadie's earlier words coming back to her.

"Was everything okay at the hospital?" Tess asked.

"The hospital…? Oh, yes! Yeah, just an emergency. Big car crash."

Tess glanced over Lexy's outfit. She was wearing the same clothes that she had worn the night before. "Did you only just get off?"

"Yeah," Lexy said nervously. She pointed towards her door awkwardly. "Really in need of a shower right now, I think. Then I'll probably head straight to bed to catch up on some sleep…"

"Oh, yeah, sure," Tess said awkwardly.

Lexy walked past Tess and into her room, closing the door behind her. She rested her forehead in her hands and cursed. She felt bad lying to Tess but she just didn't know how to tell her about Sam without hurting her.

A few hours later Lexy went into the hospital for a genuine shift. There, she saw her co-worker and friend, Declan. He jogged up behind her with a smirk on his face whilst she walked down the A&E ward.

"Hey, Lexy." His voice dripped with a tone of juicy-gossip-incoming. "I think radiology man has taken a real liking to me. Gave me his number, told me to call him. What did I tell you?"

Lexy recalled talking to the target of Declan's sexual prowess a couple of days before, encouraging him to give her friend a chance. "Ah, well, he must have just been spontaneously inspired by seeing your pretty face one more time."

Declan puffed his chest and grinned triumphantly. "And how about you… anything happen with Tess yet?"

Lexy stopped in her tracks and turned to look at him square in the face. She was wincing.

"Oh, God. I know that face. What's happened?"

"I kind of slept with Sam last night," she said under her breath so that the people around them wouldn't hear.

"Dr. Price wasting no time picking up the next broken woman that happens falls into her path," he said theatrically, mockingly.

Lexy sighed; her shoulders slumped and her eyes downcast for a moment. "It's not like I didn't like her before. I fancied her before she was broken too. She just… had a girlfriend then."

Declan shook his head gently. "Lexy, just make sure you don't get used and abused. You deserve better than what happened with your ex, and your ex before that… and your ex before that."

"Yeah, yeah. I get it." Lexy bit her lip, felt nervous.

Declan gave her a little squeeze on her shoulder and departed into a nearby cubicle to attend to a patient. Lexy blew hair out of her face and put his worries to the back of her mind.

Sam sat at home on her double bed. An open bottle of vodka stood by her foot on the bedside rug. She was staring at herself in a mirror opposite. The blinds were closed, making the room dimly lit. Faint sounds of the city outside – passing cars, voices, dog barks – went unnoticed by her. She went to take a swig of the colourless liquor when her phone began to buzz beside her on the duvet. On the screen she read the name "Lexy". Sam stared at the phone, debating whether to pick up. Her face was expressionless and stony. After a several seconds she turned away and took a large gulp of alcohol.

Lexy was walking down one of Glasgow's streets when her phone began to buzz. She pulled it out of her back pocket expecting to see "Sam" on the screen. Instead it was Tess calling. She sighed with disappointment, but then felt bad because she liked Tess just fine. She hesitated and then pressed the green phone button.

"Hi, Tess. What's up?" Lexy covered her left ear so that she could hear Tess better over the noise of the traffic. "Yeah, sounds cool. I'm not up to anything right now so I'll head straight over. Which bar did you say you were in?"

Several streets away Ed and Tess sat on high stools in a bar doubling up as a bowling alley. Tess hung up and began to bounce on her stool cushion excitedly. "She's coming to meet me, here!"

In front of her and Ed were several empty cocktail glasses. Both their cheeks were pink with tipsyness. Ed had a wide smile and he gave her a wink. "Alright, I'll be off. Just, make sure you don't get distracted by more personal dramas of your cast mates."

As Ed walked out the bowling alley, Lexy was walking in. They bumped into each other. "Oh, I didn't realise you were here too. Are you off..?" Lexy asked.

"Yeah, got some work to do for the film adaptation. Gutted I can't stay out. Hope you and Tess have fun, though!"

Lexy walked up to Tess and set her jacket on the side. Tess's eyes wondered over Lexy's shoulders and bare neck whilst she was preoccupied. She blushed at how toned she was – Lexy wasn't even that sporty!

As they bowled, they joked about. Lexy was thankful for the light relief from the tension she felt over Sam. She knew Sam was ignoring her.

Tess tried to get Lexy to catch up to her level of drunkenness by repeatedly buying her drinks. Lexy was charmed by how cute Tess was when she was drunk; she was as fun and radiant as usual, but also more clumsy and cute. Still, she was wary that her flatmate had drunk a lot and began to switch into doctor mode.

Before Tess slammed into a rack of bowling balls which would have sent them all tumbling, Lexy caught her by her forearms and pulled her gently in the direction of a bench at the back of the alley. The lighting was dim but they were faintly illuminated by pink neon lights that zig-zagged across the walls and lined the bowling lanes. Tess slotted herself next to Lexy, and Lexy outstretched an arm behind her back to steady her. Tess let her head roll back onto Lexy's shoulder and loll about there.

"You alright there, Tess?"

Tess quickly lifted her head upright, not wanting to seem too drunk. She was feeling excitable and a little giddy being so close to Lexy. As close as she was, she could lean over and kiss Lexy on the lips quite easily, if she wanted to. Lexy's compassionate side steadied Tess reflexively; she swivelled her hips to face Tess better and stretched out her arms to hold her companion on both sides in a semi-embrace. Lexy's stone-green eyes met Tess's brown ones.

Tess couldn't help herself. Like a magnet drawn to a bigger magnet, Tess leaned her head forwards and her lips grazed Lexy's. Lexy immediately angled her head away and their heads slid past each other. They became cheek to cheek. Lexy squeezed her eyes shut in a grimace. She had to tell Tess about her and Sam. Tess had bit her bottom lip and her eyebrows had creased together in anxiousness. Her heart depressed in her chest.

Lexy held Tess by the shoulders and gently pushed them both apart until they were face to face again, but with more distance between their heads. Tess looked crestfallen and embarrassed. Lexy felt guilt swelling in her chest. "Tess, I'm sorry… the truth is I'm actually with Sam, now."

Tess's eyes widened in shock and she suddenly became animated. "Sam?"

"Well, we've only slept together once so we're not exactly together together but I really care about her."

"It's only been three weeks since Cat died." Tess paused, a frown on her face. She then squeezed her eyes shut and sighed. "Well, I'm glad Sam has someone- that you have each other. I'm sure no one would be better for her right now than you."

Tess gave Lexy a kind but sad smile. It punched Lexy in the gut. "Friends?" Lexy said, outstretching her arms.

"Friends," Tess returned. They hugged for a few seconds, then awkwardly broke away from each other.

When they exited the bowling alley, Tess lied that she was going to go meet a friend and turned in the opposite direction to home. Lexy waved goodbye. When she had disappeared round the corner, Lexy checked her phone. Sam had texted her: "Want to stay over tonight?"

Tess walked into the lesbian bar she and her friends often hung out in. She immediately ordered a double vodka and coke and braced her back on the bar. She relaxed her forearms on its surface, trying to look cool and sexy. After a few seconds she began to feel stupid, however, and went back to standing normally. She puffed out a big sigh and took a long suck on her straw.

She scoped the room for anyone hot. In one corner was a cute brunette with a heart-shaped face. A few steps to her left was a feminine blonde wearing a racy short skirt. Tess wasn't usually the type to make the first move and she began to feel nerves rising within her. In truth, it didn't matter which girl it was. She just desperately wanted a distraction from her continuing thoughts about Lexy. All she really wanted was Lexy, yet suddenly she was no longer available. She took another long suck on her straw.

At that moment, a tall slender woman with sandy blonde hair stepped in front of her. There was a fair amount of free space at the bar so Tess knew the woman had walked up to her deliberately. She held herself confidently, almost cockily, but had a warm smile. "Hey, I was just saying to my friends that I think you're… really cute."

Tess detected a New Zealand accent. Would that be awkward, shagging a kiwi to get over an Australian? Tess blushed. "Oh, thanks. I think you're…uh….cute…too."

Her new companion laughed. "I'm Naz."

"Tess."

Naz stepped closer and slipped a hand onto the small of Tess's back. "Can I get you another drink, Tess?"

 _To be continued…_


End file.
